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Author
Topic: Started Complera a month ago (Read 38005 times)

Writing this from my wife's account since POZ does not want to let me create my own account.

Diagnosed in 2006. Infected somewhere between 2001-2003 is our best guess. Had CD4's of 1004 and a VL of 1800. Stayed that way for years under the care of my ID doc with no meds. Since 2008 I have watched my VL go up and my CD4's drop. I told myself that when my CD4's dropped to below 500 or my VL went above 45k, I would start the medications. I have been prepping myself for this for years. Making slow lifestyle changes and making myself healthier. Over the past 5 years we have noticed that I am tired a lot more. That is that in a nutshell.

Oct 28th I started Complera. The side effects I have had are getting sick if I do not eat when I take the Complera in the morning. Still happens if I do eat. I have not eaten breakfast as a meal in 3 decades, so if this is the only major hurdle I have to do, I can live with it! During the first 3-7 days I would have random bouts of dizziness throughout the day. During the first day, I had 7 rounds of dizziness. They tapered off and disappeared. What we have noticed is that my anger level has increased dramatically. I was thinking that it was because of the hormone/vitamin/supplements I have been taking since April. Realized in the past few days that it really started when I started the Complera. For me this is not a new issue. I have had anger control problems most of my life. It is like I am 18 again and raging against the world full of teenage angst (Yes..I am of the 80's punk rock & 90's Grunge). I have been on Xanax for anxiety for 8 years. Over the course of the past 4 years I have been on it on a daily basis. It has slowly gone up from .5mg of XR to my current 1.5mg-3mg per day. It depends on my anxiety and anger levels. Typically I am taking 1.5mg at night and another .5-1mg mid afternoon.

As of today my weight is 248lb's. I am eating healthier, have more energy and feeling great the majority of the time. I take my first post medication test around Christmas and back to the doc's after the holidays. We'll see where I am then. There is a large majority of information I am leaving out of this regarding health and lifestyle. Suffice it to say that I have been with my wife for 8 years now and have 3 great daughters. They are the reasons why I have not blown my head off during the dark days of dealing with being POZ. The journey is just beginning for all of us.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Realized in the past few days that it really started when I started the Complera.

This is important. Complera contains a new drug, and the side effects are still emerging, but anger seems to be one of them for some. Please take to your doc about this if it doesn't pass. There are combos aplenty these days and it doesn't have to be this way.

Hi Butterfly I started Complera 8 days ago, I like you, was diagnosed and didn't start therapy until two years after I was diagnosed. I always told myself that once that day came I would remain an individual with positive mental attitude and simply take my medication as if it were somethings that was just helping my body (which it IS what it really is) but I think we focus more on the stigmas that are associated with it rather than the benefits. SO here I am on day 8 and have only had one small problem... Oh so you know, I take my med at 1:00pm with lunch since its usually my biggest/consistent daily mea...I don't always eat breakfast or dinner...

On day one of Complera I ended up in the ER because I experienced a terrible terrible terrible trigeminal neuralgia (it's a three branched nerve that runs across your face) I had never in my life experienced such horrid pain. Well, the doc in the ER gave me Percocet and told me to follow up with a Neurologist. The following day I followed up with the neurologist he ordered an MRI of the brain. BEFORE the MRI I followed up with my doc and filled her in with everything that had happened. I DID continue to take my medication despite the pains because I wanted to know...is this a side effect that my body needs to get over? or am I experiencing something else (which I am not ready to receive more bad news)... That pain lasted my DAy one and Day 2 of my medication... from Day 3 until today I can honestly say I have had ZERO side effects from the medication. When I saw my doc, she told me; "The med is rather new, so we are still learning about its side effects and such...no need to get an MRI since you are no longer having pains... if it was something worst you would be having constant pain and other symptoms" I then proceeded tell her following: I did read that HAART and cause neuropathies (pains in nerve endings) but this usually occurs LATER, WAY WATER in the course of meds... as in 10 years later not 3 hours after I ingest the med. I also read that HAART can cause an inflammatory response in your body during the firs few days since your body is getting used to it... I think I was that... Why it affected the trigeminal nerve?... bc I sometimes (when I'm stressed or in the sun too long) break out with cold sores.... and guess where the HSV1 virus sits when it is latent?... right in the trigeminal nerve!! lol so BINGO, I pretty much diagnosed myself... But that it neither here nor there... lolFirstly, god bless you and your family for all being so supportive... I have read that this med is supposed to be one of the best and associated with the least side effects... I think your anger and anxiety may have a lot to do with the extensive thought you are subconsciously putting into taking this medication. I, like you, have been blessed with an AWESOME support group, my family. Gratefully, the side effects that we are experiencing/ experienced are minor and not like some of the Atripla horror stories I have heard/read...In my opinion, not that I/m right, just a suggestion (it worked for me)... I'm a firm believer in treating the under lying cause... which we are, we are treating the virus by taking the med...BUT in our situation we should treat it by trying to be more positive with our thoughts and controlling our min, not letting our mind control us. The brain is a powerful organ...there's a reason why science has been unable to fully learn the way the brain functions... so focus not on the side effects but more so on the benefits.... the benefit that this medication will allow fro you, such as one day being able to be there to see the pretty girls graduate college, get married and give you grandchildren...bc that was just something that people would DREAM about 20 years ago...now it's a total reality. You got this man, chin up and treat the underlying cause... your mental health!! that is just as important as your physical health!! don't forget that. Good luck and much love to you and your family.Happy Thanksgiving.

Update: I upped my Xanax dosage last week to 2mg XR at night and if the rage comes on during the day I take another 1mg XR during the day. All is under control now. Still a bit more angry than normal but I can deal with it. Real similar to the way I was when I was a teenager with raging hormones.

Almost had a coronary after ordering my refill of Complera on Friday, took my last dose on Saturday morning and the pharmacy telling my wife it wouldn't be available until Monday. I called them up Sunday morning when they opened, explained the situation, they apologized repeatedly then called around and found another Walgreens that had a bottle of Complera on the shelf. Pharmacy told me how much it costs... 1800.00 a bottle. Glad I have insurance. Damn.

Update: Now that I was emotionally numb and the rage has decreased I dropped my Xanax XR dosage to the 1.5mg. Been up for 3 hours now and feel fine. For the first time in days my daughters came near me willingly. They can always tell when I am "grumpy" as they call it. I am going to hit my shop today and get some work done. Plan on taking an extra .5mg of the XR with me if I start to have issues with the withdrawals or rage.

The sickness if I do not eat seems to be dissipating too. Only ate a banana this morning and I am fine.

I've been on Complera for 3 weeks yesterday. I have noticed a couple of things, my temper is short and I have bouts of insomnia. The temper was VERY bad last week, but seems to be tapering off now. I am hoping that the insomnia goes away as well or I will go back on the Ambien. Other than these two things, I have had no other side effects. I too take mine at lunch as it's my most consistent meal. If the anger/rage doesn't level off then I will discuss with my doctor on the 12th about mood stabilization.

Xanax withdrawls are done for now. Going to try and cut back to 1mg after the holidays. Side effects from the Complera are still getting sick from not eating breakfast with it (I do eat something with it, sometimes just not enough). Other than that, no side effects anymore.

Calories are not my problem. My problem is going to be the 2x40mg Nexium I take every night for acid reflux. I do not have high hopes for my continued progression on Complera because of that. I get my first blood test next week since starting Complera. My ID Doc and myself will be taking it from there. My appt is Jan 5th. I am mainly posting all of this to help others with the side effects of Complera itself since it is so new.

Butterfly is my wife's account. I have my own now and will be posting on this name.

I've been on Complera for almost three (3) months and luckily had no side effects. My ID doctor switched me from Atripla. I have labs on the 23rd and will be anxious to see how my numbers are. Prior to switching my VL was less than 49 copies and T-cells were 790.Sorry to hear some people are having problems with Comp,era.

I've been on Complera for about 46 weeks now. I started taking it during a phase 3 clinical trial. I can identify with the hormonal issue. I had a pretty serious bout of depression about week 4 that lasted 2 weeks. I think these meds can manipulate our hormones differently and individually. I'm glad to hear that things have evened out for you. I would encourage you to ensure that you are consuming enough calories for this medication to do its job. The trial I'm participating is up on January 5th. I have talked to my Dr. and will continue to take Complera. I have already received my first 90 supply from my mail order pharmacy. In addition Gilead offers a co-pay assistance card that you can get from your Dr. that could possibly cover your entire co-pay. The program covers my entire co-pay for my 90 supply. I wish you luck on Complera and appreciate you sharing your experiences. I was afraid to take this 46 weeks ago. It is comforting to me that others are sharing their experiences in the forums.

Hey gang- I really appreciate this thread. I was just diagnosed about 2 weeks ago. I start Complera tomorrow. I am scared to death. I feel like the treatment is almost as bad as the virus. This has helped me to know what to expect, or what I might expect. Any other words of wisdom or advice to offer a newbie who is terrified right now? My doc says given my VL (27K) and my CD4 (350) I should expect to drop to nondetectable and normal CD4 within 4-12 weeks, and because I am a health nut anyway and very fit I shouldn't see any side effects. Has this been your experience? I'm so effing scared.

Seriously? the virus leads to your death after a lot of long, drawn-out and often painful illnesses. The meds hammer the virus, keep you well and let you lead a long (and hopefully) happy life. Nuff said.

It can be a shock, getting an HIV-positive diagnosis, and scared to death, yes I can see this is possible (metaphorically speaking), but it's in your head. The unknown can be terrifying. Give yourself sometime to adjust. It will get better, I promise.

Know your enemy, then put it in it's place, it's just a treatable virus, not Scary Movie 99.

Matt, THANK YOU. I needed to hear that. I am still adjusting, i know that. And there's so much misinformation on the web--and one of the blessings here already is that I've learned most of what people think they know about HIV is all based on 20 year-old information or urban myth. I'm just as guilty. For me, this is a process not only of learning the reality (you're right--the odds are I am going to be healthy for the remainder of my life, I will look and feel great) and at the same time, unlearning all of the fear-based dogma that I've accepted as truth. So twofold process.

I really appreciate your candor and upbeat attitude.

It's hard not to get lost in the fear. And being a control freak, I want to know all the outcomes...lol!

So aside from the potential short term depression and anger, this medication seems to be relatively side-effect free? That's what my doc has told me--and given my overall state of health to begin with he said I probably wont' experience any effects. Certainly not manic mood swings or lipodystorphy.

Moose: Get past the first month or two and all is pretty well. I had my first blood test today after starting Complera. I will find out the results in 2 weeks when I head back to the ID doc. Now I am back to the anxiety attacks thinking about what my test results are going to be.

The only side effect I still have is my stomach revolting every morning when I take the Complera. Doesn't matter how much I eat or what I eat. My stomach revolts and I blow up the toilet. I am currently taking 6-8 Immodium AD per day just to avoid blowing up the toilet. I have adjusted my diet to include eating breakfast and eating more vegetables. Before Complera I usually got away with just 2 per day. I have all intentions of addressing this issue with my doctors next month.

Btw: I still live my life as if I am going to live forever. Everyone should do the same.

I was exactly where you are not back in May when I was diagnosed. I was scared to death about the HIV and scared to death that the meds would not work on me or would have awful side effects. My doctor kept promising all would be ok but of course it is hard to feel that inside when you are scared. To be clear, the side effects I had on Complera were never to any extent where I felt I could not take the medication. The first 3 months were rough in that I was always tired out, bad headaches, moodiness and sometimes a slight nausea. Again, nothing I could not handle but at the same time I kept thinking if I feel this way, this medicine can not possibly be working. While my brain believed they were working, my fears also told me that they were not working. Each month that went by I would prepare myself to hear the meds did not work. Well of course, they worked....from month one, I have been undetectable and my CD4 keeps going up. Also each month that went by the side effects got less and less. By month 4 they were gone completely. When going through the side effects (if you have any) just keep in mind that they will go away even when you worry that they wont.

I am going on my 7th month of being positive and yes every time I get my labs there is a part of me that worries that my numbers will not be as good as the last time but they have been and my doctor always tells me that as long as I take my meds every day and always with food I can expect to stay undetectable. I have never once missed a pill and never once not eaten with it and it has worked out great.

I am still new to being positive so I can not say that I feel exactly like my old self but for the most part I do. You will too soon...just remember that anytime you worry. Eugene

One other thing....you mentioned reading a lot on the web. I think you figured that out. There is a lot of great information but also a lot of old stuff as well as a lot of peoples experiences that might really not be applicable. It is the same thing if you try to research a car or anything else on the web, you are going to find a thousand horror stories. Keep in mind that there is a much higher majority of people with bad stories online than good since if things are going great, you really do not think to much to go online and write about it. I personally used to read on this page daily when I was first diagnosed but now I come on maybe once a month. I decided to write something positive on here so I can share not to worry so much. Try not to read too much into negative things as your circumstances could be so different. My doctors advice to me was that while there are of course exceptions, the vast majority of those with HIV who do not do well is due to a lack of adherence to their medication for whatever reasons. If you are the type who can stick to your medications and not blow it off, you are going to be fine.

Torchwood, Eugene, you guys both made my eyes well up with gratitude. Thank you.

I am on day three. I do have a little fatigue and a slight headache, but I'm also quitting caffeine (i love my diet coke, even as a health food nut) so hard to tell which is which. Either way, I'm pushing through it and managed to live my life normally for the past three days.

The web is a pit, you're right. I've found this forum and actually talking to poz guys (and my doc/health counselor) to be a lot more helpful than 'facts' on the web. It depressed the heck out of me at first.

I went to a support group for poz men last night. None of them had a second head, a third eye, a buffalo hump and none of them had gone certifiable insane from taking the medication. There was a lot of terror in my head--but none of it seems to be reality. True, some of the elder chaps who'd been around in the 80s and have had it for decades showed some of the side effects from older medications, but for the most part everyone looked and seemed normal. They laughed alot, I think that helped me the most.

I decided before I started the medication to look at it as a blessing, not a curse. While I don't love the fact that I have to take it, I'm grateful I live in a world where it's available to me. I'm grateful I live in a city where I have access to possibly the best healthcare and information on HIV around. I'm grateful I have the opportunity to go to meetings like the one I did last night. And I'm grateful to you guys virtually holding my hand--especially now, when I admittedly still have moments when I feel like I don't deserve any compassion at all. But I know that's in my head, too--and with time and healing it will fade as well.

Eugene, it sounds like our VDL and CD4s are very similar. My doc said for people like me/you, Complera out performs other drugs in the long run but may not elevate CD4 as rapidly.

Can I ask a technical question I forgot to ask my doc? What does "undetectable" mean? VDL less than 50? How do I know when I've reached that?

Most of all I'm grateful for my boyfriend. He'll never read this, but I want to put this out there for the universe right now. We decided to be monogamous last January. We were both tested. We were both negative. I sero converted last spring from sleeping with a guy who I didn't know was positive, prior to my commitment to my boyfriend. For a year I've been exposing him to this. He is negative. He had every reason to bolt, but he's not only stayed, this has brought us closer and bonded us in a way few things in life ever could.

Yes, I have HIV. But I think I'm one of the luckiest men in the world.

Torchwood, I'm holding out the best for you on your results. If you feel so inclined to share, I'd love that.

As far as your stomach is concerned, have you considered acidopholus and probiotic digestive enzymes about 30-45 minutes before you eat? Those help me process my food (and I eat a lot of raw fruits/veggies) pretty completely and may be something that helps you. I checked with my doc and they are both fine to take with Complera.

Stomach issues are the worst--am hopeful those will (or have) diminished for you.

OMFG! I was worried about the Complera not working because of my acid reflux and the 80mg Nexium I take every night. Just got off the phone with my ID doctor.

VL: Undetectable!!!!CD4: 890!!!

My CD4's haven't been this high in years. Also figured out that something with the vitamins and supplements I have been taking is what has been making me sick every day. I discontinued them last Saturday and my stomach is back to normal. I found out about my VL & CD4's 25 minutes ago and haven't been able to stop crying for the happiness that it worked.

Torchwood! I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU, my friend!!! This is awesome news and you deserve it! I'm so glad you shared this victory with us--it gives me hope my news will also be good when I go in at end of month.

Bless you, my friend. This is beyond terrific. Thank you for taking the time to share it. You've given this newbie something to smile about as well.

All is well. No more side effects or reactions with anything. Still haven't restarted the vitamins and supplements. I see that doc in a few weeks. I try to eat breakfast in the morning, have not always managed to do so. I have such bad acid reflux that it is really a non-issue. I try to get a bagel, couple of my kids donuts or 2 English Muffins or a couple of eggs down in the morning but after 3 decades of not eating breakfast it is not as easy as one thinks. Every morning and throughout the day I drink a bottle of Sweet Leaf Tea (Honey and Mint..all organic). First bottle is gone within the first hour usually. 150 calories per bottle. Typical day sees 3 of these gone by lunch. I do not drink much soda or coffee.

On the upside of it all (yes there is an upside), my wife and I have our sex life back. The whole HIV+ thing helped kill our sex life utterly (along with a few other things I am not going into. It was with HIV+ with me but my wife had other issues she has worked out). It is like when we first met again.

Torchwood- That's such great news on all fronts. I'm glad you're healthy and equally glad your romantic life with your wife has normalized. Thank you for sharing, it makes me feel optimistic for my own future!

I am finishing week 4 of Complera. I am supposed to get my labs done now but I've gotten my annual head cold (feel like crap), and based on discussions with my doc today I will probably wait until I'm over the bulk of this. He said since I have a cold (runny nose, sneezing, coughing, slight fever) it could depress my CD4 cells and give me an artificially low number. Although I am really wondering what my viral load is now, he said there's an 80% chance it's UD.

Question for you and others in the group: Can I expect to get more head colds/flus now that I am positive? I guess the really good news is I'm not having fatalistic fears that I have pneumonia or anything like that. Just my annual cold.

Question for the group: Is anyone aware of any interactions between Complera and Ceftin (antibiotic, generic name Cefuroxime). I can't find anything anywhere, my doc said "no interactions to stress about" and am unclear what that means.

No more side effects, VL UND, CD4's highest since dx in 06 and feeling normal again with the huge weight of the world off my shoulders (at least it feels like that). Now to get into shape, lose 60# (I am 80# overweight) and prepare for a rowboat race from California to Hawaii in 2014. If not, I'll be doing some desert racing and going after some world records I have in my not so distant future

Torchwood, that's awesome for you and inspirational for the rest of us. I definitely expect to see updates on your progress! :-) Thanks for posting. In my short time on this I've seen you come so far. Thanks for your example and for sharing your story--it's been helpful and hopeful!

I also have Aetna and my copay is 35 bucks for a 30 days Complera supply.I then applied for copay assistant program (their number listed here http://positivelyaware.com/2011/11_02/copay_chart.shtml ) and got a card that acts like a second insurance for your prescription and they cover the rest of the copay.

They will send you the physical card but when you apply on the phone, you could ask for the card info (ID and Group number), and give those numbers to the drug store.My second month of Complera from Walgreens is free because of that.

Torchwood- That's such great news on all fronts. I'm glad you're healthy and equally glad your romantic life with your wife has normalized. Thank you for sharing, it makes me feel optimistic for my own future!

I am finishing week 4 of Complera. I am supposed to get my labs done now but I've gotten my annual head cold (feel like crap), and based on discussions with my doc today I will probably wait until I'm over the bulk of this. He said since I have a cold (runny nose, sneezing, coughing, slight fever) it could depress my CD4 cells and give me an artificially low number. Although I am really wondering what my viral load is now, he said there's an 80% chance it's UD.

Question for you and others in the group: Can I expect to get more head colds/flus now that I am positive? I guess the really good news is I'm not having fatalistic fears that I have pneumonia or anything like that. Just my annual cold.

Moose: We seem to have skipped over question about getting the opportunistic infections more.

I get my flu shot every fall. I haven't had the flu in YEARS. With the kids, their activities, the high amount of traveling I do, my activities and the employees...I have not had anything since 2007 when I came down with Shingles (not including allergies and the sinus infections that go along with that. Life long issue and not HIV releated). No colds, no flu...nada. In fact, last go around at my house was having my wife, 3 daughters (all toddlers), 2 employees all sick with the same stomach flu. My oldest daughter was throwing up in my hands. I never got it outside of blowing up the toilet a few times and not feeling good. Still no where near to what everyone else had.

Torchwood- Thanks for your input--this has kind of become the common answer: not only do most men not see increased colds/flus, but most of them have told me they get fewer of them than they used to. Whether it's because we are more conscious of our overall health or what, I don't know, but it is good news.

Yeah, that was my first head cold since being diagnosed. Like you, I get allergies and head colds/bad allergy attacks almost have always led to sinus infections (while I was negative). This time, though, I really took care of myself: I rested, used my sinus rinse, drank a ton of fluids, and used a little zycam. And I was over it in a week with no secondary infection. So my immune system is functioning normally, and given I listened to my body this time and took measures to make myself better, I didn't even need the antibiotic. That made me feel really optimistic.

Thanks again for sharing your experience with me.

While I still would prefer not to have the virus, it does indeed seem to be something I can manage successfully and still live a full life.

PS- I especially loved the part about your intimacy with your wife picking up again. My partner (negative) and I are also on track with picking ours up again--and that makes me feel really good. :-)

Well, I caught my first cold in about 4 years. I haven't missed it and the cold can go away for another 4 years. I am going to blame this on the fact I quit all my vitamins and supplements (side effects from the Complera, drug interactions). Bad news, I have put on 23 pounds since Halloween. A combination of the Complera, injured my ankle again and...I quit smoking. Day 9 now. I have been cutting down since January and that is half my weight gain. My Xanax dosage is stable at 1.5mg per night. I have dropped the Advil PM entirely. Back to sleeping 5 hours at night and feeling great!

My rowing machine is up to 10 minutes. Big improvement from the 30 seconds at first. Now my tendonitis/bad joints are trying to kick my ass. Took care of that crap with some Celebrex. Still taking it slow. I have to. Abused my body way to much in the past. It took me 6 years to get into the shape I am in now (Round is a shape!), getting into any semblance of fitness shape will not be overnight.

Bah and humbug. Back to being sick. Tried to take my vitamins again. I've also put on another 10 pounds. My fat ass is up to 271 now and I've started working out on a rowing machine and cardioglide. I'm also tired a lot with no sex drive. Sleeping 10-12 hours a day. Glad I am meeting with all my doctors next month.

Writing this from my wife's account since POZ does not want to let me create my own account.

What we have noticed is that my anger level has increased dramatically.

Dear Torchwood. I was diagnosed in 2007 but just started Complera in Jan 2012 when my CD4 dropped significantly and Platelet count was dangerously low. Absolutely no noticeable side effects. Amazing! Both CD4 platelets improving already. However after having a major freak out, temper tantrum, breaking and smashing things and in general having a very short temper lately, I looked for any possible link to my meds. your post and a couple others may be a clue, but I will wait and see if this bizarre behavior continues. What happened was very extreme for me - I have had lots of problems in life that I have handled with as much grace and dignity as possible. Have NEVER acted in this way despite anything life threw at me. Very strange and also embarrassing. Thank you for the post - Sounds like you are doing great now. And to everyone - Complera is fantastic. I was also very afraid to start treatment. Wary of side effects and have had none. Many of my friends who have tried other combinations, and Atripla have had multiple side effects, debilitating nausea, diarrhea, etc. I have had none of these with Complera and it is doing it's magic very quickly. Also obtained free for one year via Gilead assistance program. If you don't have this free card, ask your Doctor!

Dear Torchwood. I was diagnosed in 2007 but just started Complera in Jan 2012 when my CD4 dropped significantly and Platelet count was dangerously low. Absolutely no noticeable side effects. Amazing! Both CD4 platelets improving already. However after having a major freak out, temper tantrum, breaking and smashing things and in general having a very short temper lately, I looked for any possible link to my meds. your post and a couple others may be a clue, but I will wait and see if this bizarre behavior continues. What happened was very extreme for me - I have had lots of problems in life that I have handled with as much grace and dignity as possible. Have NEVER acted in this way despite anything life threw at me. Very strange and also embarrassing. Thank you for the post - Sounds like you are doing great now. And to everyone - Complera is fantastic. I was also very afraid to start treatment. Wary of side effects and have had none. Many of my friends who have tried other combinations, and Atripla have had multiple side effects, debilitating nausea, diarrhea, etc. I have had none of these with Complera and it is doing it's magic very quickly. Also obtained free for one year via Gilead assistance program. If you don't have this free card, ask your Doctor!

I would bet the anger subsides after a month or two of starting treatment. Mine did. Glad my posting all this has helped!

Update: New labs in. Still UND I see my ID doc in 2 weeks where I will get the rest of the info. I have dropped back down to 267#.

Still can't lose weight (combination of stress, diet and lifestyle..working on it!). Still UND & healthy. Side effects are gone completely. All in all, life is good. Going to try and start the supplement I was on before I started Complera that helped me lose 25 pounds. I am determined to get back into some semblence of shape (other than round).

Started the Supplement Adrenevive yesterday. This plus my multivitamin are what was giving me medicine interactions before. So far so good. Not sick or anything. I find this to be great news because it is what helped me lose 20 pounds before I started the Complera. Current weight is 265#

I am so glad you shared your Complera side effects. It’s very important that before you switch to Complera - collect all info about side effects, so when you start taking it, you would know without doubt that it’s not accidental thing – it is coming from this med.Before I was taking Atripla. After 5 years, I got tired from nightmares and sometimes very strong pain in my testicles. Complera has no major side effects on me, and I don't feel anything during my 3 months taking it. Most important – I have clear head and sleep like a baby. The only serious problem with Complera is - it has bad effect on my stomach (my whole digestion system). I have to eat real meal no less than 400 calories and then take a pill of Complera. I want eat, or I don't want – doesn’t matter, it’s mandatory - I have to eat a lot in order to keep this med in my system for 24 hours, or if I eat less than 400 calories - Complera will not stay in my body for next 24 hours and HIV virus will soon develop resistance to Complera, which is very, very, very serious problem! So I eat, I take one daily pill of Complera and then… My stomach starts growling, rumbling, I feel like a gas balloon, which has a leak.. And I fart non-stop!Let see how it will go, but right now I am thinking to go back to Atripla. I hope, all these eating paranoia will fade, and my stomach will used to this new chemicals. Maybe somebody had the same problem - please, share the fix!

Still at 265#. Can't seem to drop any weight. I have made the decision to drop Xanax out of my regimen along with just about everything else I possibly can then I am going to detox my body, eat healthy and continue to exercise. Dieting is just about out of the question due to the calorie requirements of Complera.

A year ago I was taking upwards of 6mg per day, I started 1mg per day last night. Damn these withdrawals. Inability to focus my eyes, lack of sleep, the needles and pins all over my body. I have not been able to get under the 1.5mg per day for 3 years now. Talked in depth to my wife about it last night (again). If I can not get past these withdrawals this time I am going to enter a detox center somewhere out of the country. I need my mind, emotions, and life back.

I started complera 10 days ago. God I feel like I should go on disability. Feeling lightheaded, noxious, no energy. This is the 1st time I take any hiv meds. Please tell me is going to get better. I feel like blowing monkey chunks.

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So I found out I am HIV pos last August, My t cell count back then was 650 now I'm down to 210. Started taking Completa 10 days ago and having a hard time with it. Feeling kind of sick.

Welcome to the forums -- sorry you have to be here and sorry you aren't feeling well.

As you may have read through this and other posts, the first few (2-4) weeks can be an adjustment to the system. Have you been taking it with a good size meal (400 calorie minimum)? If not, that could be an issue. I am on the same med almost three weeks and make sure I have a big meal (600-800 calories, with protein). My side effects (light-headedness mostly) have been very mild.

If your symptoms continue over the next week or two you should talk to your doc - there may be other med options that don't effect you as much.

Also, hopefully you will get responses from others with more experience, if not you may consider starting a thread.